Matcha Sifting

I finally got my butt in gear and started my XMas shopping. Wheeee. Woohoo. LOL. (Slightly sarcastic…I hate Xmas shopping.) Anyways, during my shopping time I went to two Asian stores, one was a place that sells mostly knickknacks, statues, some snacks and small section of tea and some tea accessories. I looked around a while…mainly was there to find small reasonably priced items to give as gifts to relatives. When I remembered I had wanted to ask if they sold matcha sifters. Argh….it was bit of a trial trying to convey what I meant to the sales clerk, (Possibly been saying ‘Matcha’ wrong, or maybe he wasn’t sure what sifter meant, I don’t know.) But we finally came to mutual understanding and he said that some people he knows have used socks (clean ones mind you!) to sift. Personally I would rather use something that couldn’t be confused with anything else or get accidently thrown out. I thought hey what about cheesecloth? Or other fabrics? Is a flour sifter to big to use? I would really rather use simple cheap things that I can buy at a store while I try this out, and then if I like it or love it….then spend the money for a matcha bowl, sifter, whisk, and scoop. (Probably a kit.) So, what have you used to sift your matcha? (Please do not link websites to sifters, kits, or matcha, as I got several linked.)

Also bought Rishi’s Sweet Matcha Original at Whole Foods the other day, comments on that is also welcome.

Lastly, I am new to Matcha, so if I have goofed somewhere above, please point it out politely but no meanies.

My recommendation is to use a tea strainer, if you have one …. it will probably be easier than a cheesecloth. I picked up an inexpensive small strainer in the grocery store (utensil aisle) for about 2 bucks and that’s what I use. A flour sifter can be used, but, it might be kind of bulky and inconvenient to use for something like Matcha.

I have been drinking matcha for years now, and I’ve never bothered getting a “matcha sifter” … I just use my strainer that I bought for 2 bucks at the grocery store and it works great.

The strainer that I use for matcha sifting is not a tea strainer … it’s just a little wire mesh strainer with a plastic rim and handle with little hooks on the rim that holds the strainer in place on my Matcha bowl easily. It was super inexpensive, and it works just fine. The main purpose of the sifting is to help eliminate clumps and to help aerate the Matcha … so I really see no need in getting a special sifter … but I can understand wanting to get one too! :)

I use a small wire mesh tea ball for straining matcha and other powdered teas, but have to rinse it out every so often as the tea begins to clog the mesh. Whoever wrote that it would be better to use something only for matcha must not give their strainer an occasional bath. Wire doesn’t absorb odors, so as long as you wash it you should be able to use it for anything.

All I use is a metal strainer that I already had in the kitchen for household purposes. It removes clumps which is all I ask of my sifter. I believe it originally came in a pack of two from a local dollar store.

Any small hand strainer will do. It does not necessarily need to be a Matcha strainer. If you find a small strainer at a local cooking store then that will work. As mentioned the main reason for sifting Matcha is to remove clumps.

Some people like to use a bit of water and make a paste using the Matcha to make sure it is smooth and has no clumps before adding the 2-3 oz. of water and whisking. This way a strainer is not needed. I opt for the former and prefer a strainer/sifter.

Well traditionally Matcha is shifted before hand and placed in a natsume for the Japanese tea ceremony. I believe this is where it stems from. People may want to stick with the traditions of the Japanese tea ceremony do they opt to shift it.

I myself prefer to shift Matcha every time. I find that sometimes if I don’t, Matcha sometimes clumps the in crevices at the bottom of the bowl.